Can Women and Men be "just friends"?

Freshman year in high school. English 1A. Mr. Kick. One of the few things i remember most vividly from his class was the day he told us that women and men can never be just friends. He said, "it says it all in "When Harry Met Sally." ... Sure, i remember falling in love with Holden Caulfield, and realizing that Romeo and Juliet experienced infatuation rather than love, and learning all the important Greek/Roman mythologies, talking about Night and To Kill A Mockingbird, and being introduced to the story that would forever print a picture of an evil wine cellar in my mind (Cask of Amontillado)... but i also remember some of Mr. Kick's "life tips".. one of them being this whole women and men friendship thing. It's funny... how a "Tip" as simple as this could follow me so often throughout my day to day life.

I've been thinking about it a lot lately. And i'm not sure what to believe. I WANT to believe that a man and woman can be "just friends"... because ANYTHING is possible... but, i have yet to find evidence. I mean... i think they can be friends if they're borderline aquaintance/friend.. that's easy... but i'm not sure if they can be "just friends" while being REALLY GOOD friends. =/

I've been accused of "leading guys on" one too many times.. people think i'm mean because of it sometimes, and honestly, half the time, i'm not even aware of it. Personally, i don't think i "lead them on," i just like talking to guys, and i don't see what's wrong with that. It's actually kind of sad sometimes, i mean, i'll meet a guy, and i'll be nice to him, i'll be caring, and do favors or what not, do my best to help when he's in time of need, and all of sudden "OH, i MUST BE attracted to him." They mistake my kindness for attraction.. and it's kind of like.. geez, is it really that weird for people to want to be nice to eachother? I don't understand. And i'm sorry if i have ever made someone think i'm attracted to them when i'm really not, it most likely wasn't intentional. But then sometimes it goes the other way around, and simple things start making me think a friend is attracted to me too. Like i always say, i'm a hypocrite; but it's okay.

I like having guy friends. and i don't see anything wrong with it. A guy and girl friendship with no sexual attraction HAS TO BE possible!




Harry: You realize of course that we could never be friends.
Sally: Why not?
Harry: What I'm saying is - and this is not a come-on in any way, shape or form - is that men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.
Sally: That's not true. I have a number of men friends and there is no sex involved.
Harry: No you don't.
Sally: Yes I do.
Harry: No you don't.
Sally: Yes I do.
Harry: You only think you do.
Sally: You say I'm having sex with these men without my knowledge?
Harry: No, what I'm saying is they all WANT to have sex with you.
Sally: They do not.
Harry: Do too.
Sally: They do not.
Harry: Do too.
Sally: How do you know?
Harry: Because no man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her.
Sally: So, you're saying that a man can be friends with a woman he finds unattractive?
Harry: No. You pretty much want to nail 'em too.
Sally: What if THEY don't want to have sex with YOU?
Harry: Doesn't matter because the sex thing is already out there so the friendship is ultimately doomed and that is the end of the story.
Sally: Well, I guess we're not going to be friends then.
Harry: I guess not.
Sally: That's too bad. You were the only person I knew in New York.